A little over a month ago, I testified in an appeals hearing in my own home county of Frederick County, MD, about the benefits of our local, privately owned compost facility—and compost and composting. Our planning commission’s approval of the facility’s expansion was appealed to our Zoning Board by residents who had built homes years after the facility opened and was permitted. As advocates, we were anxious about the future of the facility. Fortunately, the Planning Commissions’ approval stood, with some modifications by Compost Crew, the owners, and we all breathed a sigh of relief.

 

But there is nothing like being in a contentious situation in your own neighborhood to remind me of what so many others of our members have had to endure as you sought to open or expand an operation.

As we bid farewell to Hessa Al Maghlouth, Industry Research and State Chapter Relations Manager, we celebrate not just her contributions to the USCC but also her exciting new journey ahead.

 

Hessa came to USCC after a recommendation from Rhonda Sherman, North Carolina State University's internationally known vermiculture expert. Hessa had been working with Rhonda during her college years, and USCC brought her in right after her college graduation as an administrative assistant. She quickly took on other projects such as Young Professionals and our conference app and eventually added volunteers, chapter, and research to her experience.

 

This summer, USCC hired Sydney Seiter for a 10-week summer internship to aid USCC’s ongoing data management efforts. With the internship coming to a close, Sydney and the data team reported on the progress that was made on USCC's long-term Data Plan.

 

The goal of the summer data intern was to assist Data Manager Eric Ohman’s efforts to build systems that provide a clearer picture of the data USCC has and to help USCC answer specific questions more effectively. The internship involved three key phases: data validation, data collection, and data analysis; Sydney’s role in this initiative was to validate and expand USCC’s data on state composting regulations, contact information, and details about authorized composting facilities. Sydney focused on correcting and completing the information that appears on the USCC’s State Regulations webpage and expanding the database to enable comparisons between states. The broader analysis goal, in alignment with USCC's Master Data Plan, is to describe the composting industry and regulatory landscape across the U.S. 

The US Composting Council has launched the Compost Industry Salary and Benefits Benchmarking Study, the first of its kind for our industry.

 

Already, the many companies, nonprofits, and municipalities in the composting industry who provided us with a point of contact for the study have received instructions for participation and have begun filling out the survey. We want to encourage all of our members to join them in helping us create a robust data set for this study. If you and your team would like to help in this landmark study, you can sign up today! The first 30 participants will be entered into a raffle for a $100 Visa Gift Card!

As of August 1st, the 2025-2026 membership cycle has officially begun. Thank you to all members who have renewed; we are thrilled that you want to continue to grow with the USCC! We are looking forward to another year of advancing composting across North America while delivering member value.

 

The monthly Compost Communicator Newsletter is just one of the many benefits that come with your USCC membership. For the month of August, we have sent the newsletter to all members from the 2024-2025 cycle. However, in September, this benefit and all other member benefits will no longer be available to those who have not renewed for the 2025-2026 cycle. If you want to see the September Compost Communicator, make sure to renew before August 31st!

During the USCC State Chapter Leaders’ 3rd Quarter Meeting, Chris Snow, USCC’s new Director of Public Policy presented on the USCC’s Advocacy efforts and commitment to its State Chapters and Members.

 

The USCC’s role in advocacy is rooted in its Mission Statement and Vision, and so that’s where we start at USCC when discussing Advocacy. The USCC’s Mission is: The US Composting Council advances compost manufacturing, compost utilization, and organics recycling to benefit our members, society and the environment. And our USCC Vision is: We believe compost manufacturing and compost utilization are central to creating healthy soils, clean air and water, a stable climate and a sustainable society.

 

So now that we know what we are advocating for, the next step is implementation. Advocacy is a method of gaining public support for causes, bills, policies, and/or regulations. It involves taking strategic actions to drive change and can include a wide range of activities, including education, community organizing, and lobbying.

 If you're thinking of starting or growing your compost business, we recommend the Compost University™ course VIS.117: Visions of Scale—A Panel Discussion of Three Compost Entrepreneurs.

 

This panel discussion features three successful compost entrepreneurs sharing their firsthand experiences of starting and growing their businesses. Speakers Michael Robinson of Rust Belt Riders, Justin Senkbeil of CompostNow, and Christi Turner of Scraps all come with unique insights into establishing a business in the composting field. Topics include accessing funding, navigating permitting issues, hiring and training personnel, and developing a new business structure.

 

As a part of the ongoing update to the Test Methods for the Examination of Composting and Compost (TMECC), the USCC and the Compost Research and Education Foundation are conducting a survey to better understand how laboratories currently perform measurements relevant to the STA–Compost Analysis Proficiency Program.

 

Your input is essential in helping us identify which aspects of TMECC are most useful, where gaps exist, and how the methods can be improved. Your feedback will directly inform ongoing major revision efforts and modernize the TMECC manual.

The US Composting Council Board of Directors has just approved our 16th USCC chapter in the State of Indiana! Please join us in welcoming the Indiana Composting Council (INCC).

 

The INCC plans to hold compost facility tours, have networking focus groups, and set up a booth at many Indiana environmental events. The chapter’s mission/vision is to promote, develop, and expand composting across Indiana. Their vision is an Indiana where composting is accessible to all—empowering Hoosiers to steward the environment, boost local economies, and build healthy, fertile soils for generations to come.

Did you know USCC’s membership platform has a built-in community posting board, where members can ask questions and share successes and challenges related to compost facility operations? The Compost Facility Discussion Forum is an incredibly useful member resource, where compost operators can connect year-round. If you’ve had a burning question about your composting operation that you’d like to ask other composters about, head to the Compost Facility Discussion Forum!

 

To access the forum from your USCC Member homepage, navigate to Quick Links > Discussion Forums.

We are thrilled to highlight Clarissa Libertelli as August’s YP of the Month! Clarissa is the Community Composter Coalition Manager at Institute for Local Self-Reliance. 

 

Raised by environmental activists (including a Master Composter!), an urgency around the need for environmental justice was at the center of Clarissa’s academic and professional career. But when she first started working with ILSR's composting team, it was actually as a freelance artist. Clarissa now manages the 390+ strong Community Composter Coalition, a growing network of organizations keeping the compost process and use as local and distributed as possible. Clarissa is very grateful every day to support such incredibly hardworking people on the frontlines of a movement that strives to go further than just waste diversion, towards building thriving, just, and resilient communities. And she still gets to draw a worm or two from time to time!

Join us for our YP Quarterly Call on September 11th! These calls are a great time for YPs to connect, share updates, and have productive discussions on all things related to composting and being a young professional.

 

Date: September 11, 2025

Time: 3:00pm EST

Location: Zoom—Register here!

The USCC YP Education Committee wants to hear from you! Our committee is dedicated to creating educational webinars and resources for young professionals in the composting field. Please fill out this survey to let us know what you’d like to see in upcoming webinars.

 

Are you a passionate young professional looking to connect with like-minded individuals in the composting industry? Look no further! We invite you to join our vibrant and engaging Slack community.

Last month, USCC Member Compost Colorado held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the grand opening of their new composting operation—the first commercial composting site within Denver city limits.

 

Compost Colorado’s site utilizes two in-vessel, aerated static pile systems built in upcycled shipping containers. The company was founded in 2018 and has operated their food waste collection program since then. They have been working for multiple years to establish a site of their own to process the food waste collected through their program.

USCC Member, family-owned and -operated compost manufacturer Earth Care Farm, based in Rhode Island for the past 48 years, has reached the final stage of the permitting process to open its second site on a former stone quarry in Connecticut.

 

Earth Care Farm’s current 3-acre site has a throughput of about 5,000 cubic yards per year and produces compost that is OMRI-Certified for organic use. Company owner Jayne Merner says that the growing demand for organic-use certified compost motivated their search for a larger site. Their move to Connecticut was motivated by a lack of space in Rhode Island; the former quarry in Sterling, CT, will provide an ideal site for its remoteness and status as former industrial land.

Welcome to these new USCC Member Organizations!

 

DTG Recycle—Mill Creek, WA

Travis Environmental Solutions—Houston, TX

Smith Gardner, Inc.—Raleigh, NC

4SRenewables—Amarillo, TX

This full-time, in-person position coordinates planning, organization, budgeting, and implementation of policies and procedures for the Livingston Composting Facility and County Green Waste Recycling Program. The position is responsible for overseeing the operation of the assigned county facilities in compliance with applicable regulations, including the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), VOHSA, and the Health Department. Supervises, directs, and trains personnel to assist with and perform duties related to the composting and green waste recycling process. Work also involves operating computers, electronic devices, and heavy machinery, and maintaining/repairing machinery and equipment.

 

Join us Sep. 10 to hear industry experts Ron Alexander and Howard Stenn share how to position your compost to win landscaping bids—and ensure it performs in the field. From understanding project specifications and compost testing data to troubleshooting soil issues, this session will equip you with the knowledge and tools to stand out in a competitive market.

 

Ron Alexander will discuss how participating in the STA Program can boost your credibility, what compost requirements are needed for specific landscape projects, and how to interpret test results to strengthen your sales pitch. Howard Stenn will focus on promoting clear, effective specs, addressing problematic requirements, and helping you troubleshoot landscape failures—often caused by factors other than compost.

 

Whether you're a compost producer or specifier, this webinar will help you build confidence, avoid pitfalls, and advocate for your product more effectively. You can learn more and register here.

Over the last decade, the landscape of municipal composting programs has grown and changed dramatically. Where many municipal programs started with collecting and passively composting yard waste, now programs are focusing on capturing household food waste to be thermophilically composted along with yard waste. Further, there has been a general trend away from municipally-operated programs toward public-private partnerships. Brian Fleury of USCC member Denali provides insights on the current landscape of municipal organic waste collection programs in the United States, and the challenges and successes that they have seen in recent years.

While municipal composting programs are growing across the country, the vast majority of households in the US still do not have access to a curbside or drop-off composting program. Nora Goldstein of Biocycle discusses the lack of access to composting programs across the country and the barriers to participation that persist even when access exists: “There’s a big difference between access and participation,” she says. Successful municipal programs include a strong emphasis on education and outreach to grow participation among residents.

The floral industry produces organic waste in multiple steps of its supply chain, from growing flowers to arranging and selling cut flowers. To help address organic waste in the floral industry, Sustainabloom, an initiative of the American Floral Endowment that helps promote sustainable best practices within the floral industry, has published the Composting Guide for the Floral Industry. This comprehensive guide, which covers multiple composting and organic waste reduction options available to florists, features many resources that are publicly available through the US Composting Council.